


Episode Seventeen:  The Spark of a Giant

by keirajo



Series: Transformers: Star Voyager [18]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, M/M, Multi, Romance, Spark-bonding, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 16:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keirajo/pseuds/keirajo
Summary: A talk.  A Spark-bonding.  Another talk.  A titan.And a parting.





	Episode Seventeen:  The Spark of a Giant

**Author's Note:**

> As with most of this series..........I've been attempting to put my own spin on things. This time, it's a Headmaster that I'm putting a spin on--as well as the massive size robot that Hasbro and IDW has renamed as "Titans". I hope you like it as we head briefly to Leviathan--the colony of giants. :)

Episode Seventeen:  The Spark of a Giant

 

 

            “ _Driiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifttttttttttt_!!!!”   Hot Rod squealed, glomping onto the younger of the two swordsmechs when both of the swordsmechs returned to the Star Voyager.   Then he caught the strange and uninterpretable feeling in his lover’s field.  “Drift, are you okay?”  The young, flame-colored mech asked, pulling back, but still had his arms lightly on Drift’s shoulders.  He kept moving his head to catch the swordsmech’s optics, but Drift wasn’t meeting his gaze whatsoever.

            “Is Magnus back yet?”  Drift asked softly.

            “Yeah………..he’s helping the newbies settle in on the ship,” Hot Rod responded, trying to keep his voice even and calm.   Something was wrong with Drift—he didn’t know what, but he knew Drift wasn’t going to just blurt it out right away.  “Mags thought that since we’re getting more crew each time we land on a colony, it seems, he wants to start putting together a crew roster of sorts.”

            “Newbies?”  Star Saber chuckled, gazing down at his old friend’s ward and lover.  He’d come to like the little flame-colored mech………..Hot Rod had tons of energy and good cheer, it was easy to see why Ultra Magnus had loved him.

            “Yeah………we got this team of guys to come along—they all live together and stuff, so when I asked the medic if he’d come with us, he kinda begged the rest of his lovers to come along,” Hot Rod said with a big grin on his faceplate.   “Can you imagine having **_five lovers_**?   _Holy Pit_ …………that’s _gotta_ give some interesting times in the berth!”   He laughed.  “But First Aid is like super-cute and really nice…………..but _hoo-boy_ , don’t get injured around him and try to shrug it off, he turns into the sternest and kind of angriest medic you’ll ever see!”

            “ _Um_ , Hot Rod…………I’m going to your room.  Bring Magnus with you when you can………we…….we need to talk, okay?”  Drift said, quietly, pulling Hot Rod’s servos down off his shoulders and clasping them fondly.   He still was avoiding looking into Hot Rod’s brilliant blue optics.   Star Saber gently raised a servo and stroked Drift’s helm again, with a gesture of comfort.   “Just………..try to make it **_soon_** , before I lose all my courage and confidence to talk about this………….” he trailed off, slowly pulling his servos away from Hot Rod and turning to walk out of the loading area.   He looked more like he wanted to run away………….

            “Star Saber, what’s wrong……..?  Did something bad happen?”  Hot Rod asked, looking up at the tall swordsmech curiously.

            “He’ll tell you, don’t worry about that.   It _wasn’t_ anything bad, but………….I think he’s ready to tell you **_everything_** about when he was a Decepticon and more depth behind the reasons why he left,” Star Saber said, gentleness in his vocalizer.  “We both had a very motivating experience at the Citadel and we need to find someone named _Roadfire_ before we leave—to tell him that we’ve taken care of Black Zarak for him.”   Then the mech reached down and fondly rubbed Hot Rod’s helm, as he had just done with Drift’s.  “And soon enough—I’ll tell you guys about Meteor, so you can be prepared for what you’ll find when we get there.”

            “Oh, don’t worry about _that_ —Roadfire’s coming with us,” Hot Rod answered, grinning up at Star Saber.  “He said his mission was completed and just asked to come along— _just like that_.   I wonder **_how_** he knew………..?”  The flame-colored mech murmured softly.   “I can’t wait to hear about your homeworld, Star Saber—and we should tell you more about Corona!”  He said, excitedly………one of the things he was enjoying about this journey was seeing all the different colonies, even if they were weird to him!    “I _love_ Corona………….it’s busy, but it’s also kind of relaxed.  I felt a little bit tense on Gaea and I kind of feel a little claustrophobic here on Sanctuary………..for being dedicated to healing and religion, they’ve really cyberformed _a lot_ on this planet.  The buildings are _so tall_ and they make you feel _so tiny_.   Corona’s pretty mixed—we’ve got big and well-made cities, but also a lot of plants and stuff, too.  Greenery is really kinda nice after all……….I never used to really think about it all that much.   Cybertron was a little _weird_ ………..”

            “What do you think was weird about Cybertron?”  Star Saber asked, curiously as the two began to walk out of the loading bay and down the hallways to the conference room area.

            “It was quiet and still……………a bit _oppressive_.  Magnus said it’s because of the war and everything—it _wasn’t_ like that back when he lived there,” Hot Rod murmured, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

            “It was falling into such a state when I pursued Des through the spacebridge…………..a lot of the cities had been destroyed and there was never any time to actually rebuild things,” the tall swordsmech sighed.  “Most of the Decepticons probably wound up on Fortress and whatever was left with Liege Maximo probably stirred up plenty of trouble for the Autobots.”

            “Star Saber…………..I notice you _don’t_ wear the Autobot brand.   Is there a reason or did it…………come to be a thing _after_ you went through the spacebridge?”  Hot Rod asked.

            “Let me give you something to think about before I answer you, all right, Hot Rod?”  The older swordsmech said and watched the flame-colored mech nod up at him, all attention focused on the larger mech.   “How do the brands _make you feel_?  You saw the Decepticon one on Drift’s chest………..and you met the ones who wear the Autobot one on Cybertron.”

            Hot Rod rubbed his head and the back of his neck, all while they continued walking down the hallway, looking down at his pedes as he walked.   “I dunno.  It makes me feel……….. _forced to choose_.  I don’t like being forced,” the younger mech mumbled.

            “The brands divided our kind into two directions.  Chaos versus order………….. _good versus evil_ ………… ** _right versus wrong_**.   The war forced Cybertronians to view the universe in _black-and-white_.   Those on the colonies, the ones besides Fortress anyways, have always had their freedoms…………..and their worlds have been _in color_ ,” Star Saber said, very carefully choosing his words.  He didn’t want Hot Rod to misinterpret his words to think he supported one side over another or to make a decision irrationally.   “Drift _isn’t_ wrong when he says some of the old gods’ teachings have merit—chaos _can_ be a force to bring about change, sometimes for the betterment of all.   But in the end, most of us aren’t actually following an ideology when we choose Autobot or Decepticon, even choosing Primus or Unicron—we are choosing to _follow a person_ and what _they_ believe.”

            “Is it wrong to follow a person and their ideas?”  Hot Rod asked, his voice quiet.   The words making a lot more sense to him than he thought they would.

            “I think………..and this is merely what **_I think_** ………..I think if you choose a side because of a person—you always remember to try and remain _true to yourself_.   Do not change who you are to follow someone else and their ideals,” Star Saber answered, reaching over to rub the young mech’s helm again.  Hot Rod really liked the gesture, it felt very kind and warm.  “That is why **_I_** don’t wear a brand.   My Prime did not choose a side and nor do I wish to.  If I chose the Autobot brand, I would be placed under the command of Optimus Prime—and I am not certain I could follow such a young mech, _not yet_.   I do not know what he truly stands for or is fighting for—merely crying _‘for freedom’_ is vague and uncertain.”

            “So………… _wait_ ……………do you _know_ Optimus Prime?”  The flame-colored mech asked, as soon as the two had come to a full stop outside of the conference rooms.

            “ _No_.  He was still Orion Pax when I was on Cybertron, but he had become a commanding officer in the growing war and given many leadership duties by Alpha Trion and what remained of the Council of Primes,” the older swordsmech answered with a shake of his head.  “Sentinel Prime did not care for Liege Maximo’s bids for power by using the path of chaos and destruction and fought hard for what _he believed_ —and he believed in the Council of Primes.  Sentinel Prime could not forgive Liege Maximo for the attack on the sparklings at the festival—my Prime treasures life and sparklings are the future of all life.   It was Magnus told me that Pax was now Optimus Prime.”

            “What about _you_?   What do _you_ believe in, Star Saber?”  Hot Rod murmured, gazing up into the taller mech’s faceplate.  He’d heard just now that he believed in Sentinel Prime and Sentinel Prime believed in life and the future—so, was that what Star Saber believed as well?

            “I believe in **_unity_** ,” the old swordsmech answered.   “I believe that _everything_ has a unity and a balance.  When things are out of balance, I can lose my way—and that has already happened once.  I am trying to follow a new path, which I hope will lead to balance and unity.”

            “What if………….what if you **_had_** to choose to follow another’s lead?”  The flame-colored mech whispered, servos clenching with anxiety.

            “Then that person would have found a miraculous way to have won my loyalty,” Star Saber chuckled, gazing down at Hot Rod fondly.  “Just like my Prime.”

            The two of them entered the conference room and everyone else except Drift was there—everyone seemed to be cheerful, chatting and just generally getting to know each other.   First Aid was practically glued against Airrazor with excitement—he was probably _very interested_ in her unique ability to bear life.  It was funny, because they were both smaller frames and both were pretty cute.   Hot Spot, Roadfire and Ultra Magnus were talking very seriously, while Streetwise was just listening to them—so, it was _probably_ about protection and security.   Blurr and two of the other Protectobots—Hot Rod thought he remembered their names as being Groove and Blades—seemed to be in a very animated discussion together.   Override was talking quietly with Grotusque, she was smiling and being encouraging—just as a teacher would be………it made sense, she would understand that because he’d been on his own for the most of his short decade of life, he’d be a little anxious and maybe a little shy with the group getting much larger.   As much as Grotusque longed to belong with a village, he had always been alone, so being in a group would take some time to adjust to.

            Hot Rod went over to Ultra Magnus and looked up at the mech he loved, touching his forearm gently to get his attention.   “Mags, Drift wants to talk to us—he seems kind of anxious and upset.   Let’s go find out what’s wrong, _‘kay_?”   The young, flame-colored mech said softly.

            “All right.    I think we should get ready to head to the next colony shortly, but a few more hours shouldn’t hurt, I suppose,” the red-white-blue mech responded, reaching down to place a large hand lightly over the center of the bright yellow spoiler.

            “ _No_.  No—get the ship under way.   _Blurr_!”  Hot Rod called sharply—trying to get his best friend’s attention, waving energetically.

            The blue mech was at his side in an instant.  “What is it, Roddy?”  He asked, curiously.  He felt the anxiety in Hot Rod’s field and cupped the flame-colored mech’s face tenderly.

            “Drift’s upset—he wants to see Mags and I.  Can you get the ship out on course for the next colony—we don’t have to quantum jump yet, but……..just get us plotted and on course……..?”  Hot Rod asked, his young voice firm, with a touch of command in it.

            “Sure, I think Star Saber can help me, he’s got the piloting experience—especially if both Magnus and Drift are busy,” Blurr responded, lightly stroking the sides of Hot Rod’s grey faceplate.   “You gonna be okay, bro?”   He asked, softly.

            “ _Yeah_.   I wanna talk with you later if I can, ‘ _kay Blurr_?”   Hot Rod said, quietly, placing his servos over the ones on Blurr had on his faceplate.   “Our next colony should be Leviathan—so, put in the coordinates for Leviathan.”

            Ultra Magnus had watched the exchange between the two—and despite the familiarity of their relationship and their words, he saw that Hot Rod handled it well as a commander.   His skills truly were blossoming.   Somehow, someday—Hot Rod was going to be a charismatic and wonderful leader.    This was wonderful to watch Hot Rod grow so much—maybe Drift was right in that coming out here to do this mission they all took on………it was the best thing for Hot Rod to do and to find a “ _mysterious destiny_ ” that might lie in wait out here somewhere.

            Then the two of them walked to the spacious former “captain’s quarters” that Hot Rod had claimed for himself on the ship.   Mainly because the size of the berth could accommodate all three of them— _when it was necessary_.   But when Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod arrived, Drift was sitting crosslegged on the floor—three sheathed swords were laid out on the desk shoved into a corner.

            “Is it all right if we all sit down here on the floor—I might be tempted to just stop in mid-conversation if we all sat on the berth,” Drift said with a little chuckle, smiling up at the two.  But Drift’s smile was too tight, which meant he really was anxious.

            “Let us hope I will not kill my old joints,” Ultra Magnus chuckled, softly, smiling down at the young swordsmech.  He sat down on the floor, crosslegged, just like Drift.  Hot Rod plopped down, completing the shape of a triangle for the three of them………..one leg curled towards a crosslegged position, with the other hiked up so he could rest his chin on his knee joint.

            “I’m going to explain the details of everything.   And I hope that you will not hate me, or……..be disappointed in me,” Drift said, quietly.

            So, he started with what he could remember after his Spark ignited and became a protoform.   On Fortress—after the Decepticons arrived at any rate, it was survive or don’t…………..so, sparklings received virtually no care unless someone happened to be bored or wanted something to keep them busy—or mold themselves their own personal slave.   But Sparks so rarely ignited, only once every million years or so—with only a handful of sparklings at a time.   And so………..Drift had been lucky that Starscream took him in—but only after he’d climbed into the aerial corps ship so many handfuls of times and kept getting kicked out of it.   He always wondered why Starscream had eventually taken him in, but never felt bold enough to ask.

            Starscream was a conundrum of things—he _wasn’t_ evil, but he wasn’t exactly pure and innocent either.   Above all else, his Spark-bonded trine (which included fellow aerial mechs Skywarp and Thundercracker) meant _everything_ to him.   Everything Starscream did was **_for his trine_** , whether they ever realized it or not……………he would destroy the universe or save it, **_only for them_**.    His skills with a sword were unmatched of all anyone Drift had ever known.   And back on Cybertron, the only reason Starscream joined the Decepticons was most likely because of a shifting of jobs and employment all across Cybertron—and that was about to have him separated from his trine.   Other aerial types joined behind Starscream in a rally for freedom from tying jobs to their specific alt modes—as aerial modes were so rare back then—and Starscream brought them all into the Decepticons under Liege Maximo’s desire to overthrow the current government.

            Starscream wanted the freedom to not be tied to his alt mode for employment by the government…………and he did not want to be separated from his trine because of that decision.

            Starscream had **_never_** approved of Liege Maximo’s choice of making Megatron a figurehead—and he was even more frustrated to wind up stuck on Fortress with Megatron, when the Decepticons had been sent there.

            Drift learned the sword from Starscream as he grew up and was raised by the stern mech.   He respected and admired…………and maybe even he may have slightly loved Starscream.   He was _certainly_ welcome in the berth with the trine………….so, as it turned out, Starscream had taught Drift his sexual skills as well as his sword skills.

            And then Megatron chose to have Drift Spark-bond to Nightbird—as a partnership merger of sorts he had said, but Starscream knew as well as Drift did………..it was a way to try and bring Starscream under his heavy fist for good.   Starscream had an argument with Megatron about freedom to choose, but knew it was no good.   And after Megatron had left the ship/habitation block—Starscream had the most epic of all tantrums.

            _Drift was suddenly **very scared**._

            He was upset that this Spark-bonding was nothing more than a ploy to try and control Starscream, but he was _terrified_ of Starscream’s rage.    The only thing he could think of was to run away.   He’d been tinkering with a small craft for many years at that point—it was originally so he could fly with Starscream’s aerial forces, but now it was his only way to escape. 

            To escape Megatron and the Decepticons……….and the Spark-bonding ceremony he was supposed to have with Nightbird Shadow.

            _And because he was scared at Starscream’s fury_.   But after he left and the quantum jump nearly killed him as he crashed on Corona………..he felt **_guilty_** at leaving Starscream behind.  That he hadn’t tried to understand his teacher’s rage.   And a part of him greatly wished he could see his teacher once more, to apologize to him.

            “Magnus………… ** _I_** …………” Drift whispered, staring at the floor in the center between the three of them.  “I didn’t want to push you into this so quickly, but I’d _really_ like to Spark-bond with you both.  _I want us to become a trine_ ……..I need you **_both_** to bring balance to my Spark.”   He swallowed a sudden gush of oral fluids pooling in his mouth.   “I killed Black Zarak with no emotions whatsoever………….I’m worried that I’m going to fall deeper into the darkness if I don’t have someone to pull me out of it.”

            “Oh, man, **_Drift_** …………” Hot Rod cried, leaning over and hugging Drift tightly.

            “Because I do not know the procedure or anything else—please tell me what a Spark-bonding entails and what it will do for us,” Ultra Magnus said, softly.

            “The primary thing is—we will _always_ feel a link with one another.  No matter how far apart we are from each other, we’ll have a general sense of any of our partners’ emotional state.   Then if one of us is falling into pain or despair—the others can be there for them,” Drift explained, firmly.   “The drawback is—just like any normal two-person Spark-bond, if one of the trine is killed…………the breaking of the Spark-bond will be _agonizing_.  But since the bond is spread amongst three………then it means there’s a better chance the remaining two won’t want to die.  In a two-person bond, the partner left behind usually wants to die.  You saw that with Star Saber………and, Magnus, you saw that before with Sky Shadow.”

            “ _Sky………..Shadow_?”  Ultra Magnus murmured, tilting his head gently.

            “I mean _Black Shadow_.  He _changed his designation_ when he became a bounty hunter.  Starscream spoke about him a few times,” the younger swordsmech said, deep apology in his vocalizer.

            “He became a bounty hunter?”  The old soldier murmured.

            “One of the universe’s **_best_**.  He has multiple alt modes and one is a space-faring mode,” Drift chuckled.   “He’s _very cold_ though…………and I imagine it’s because of his broken Spark-bond and the emptiness he feels.”

            “How do three of us Spark-bond?   Blurr says you’d have to really squish bodies to do it……….” Hot Rod asked, curiously.

            “ ** _Pfffft_**!!!”  Drift snorted and then erupted with massive laughter.   “Blurr’s so mature sometimes I forget how young he actually is!”  The grey-and-white mech chuckled.   “We don’t need to be any closer than a hug—just that we need to have our chests open and let our Sparklights touch and twine with each other.   The closer you can physically get, the more solid the bond becomes in a shorter amount of time.   But it’s _the concentration_ with each other that helps the most.”

            “As long as you want to bond—the bond will happen,” Ultra Magnus said, softly.  Drift nodded at him.   “I admit reservations—but it is because _it is me_ and I have always done things far too carefully and then sometimes wind up having to fix a grievous wrong.   And though I was jealous when you came into our lives, because of how easily you got together with Hot Rod—I have seen for myself the balance and the excitement you have brought into our lives.    If we went on without you, I think our relationship would be very different and always feel as if it is missing something important.”

            “Does that mean you wanna do it, Mags?  **_Really_**?!”  Hot Rod asked, desperation in his vocalizer as he dragged himself over to hug his guardian and lover.

            “Yes, I believe that I do.   Can we _try_ , Drift?”  Ultra Magnus said, softly, looking over at the grey-and-white mech.

            Drift nodded and went to a position on his knees, moving closer to Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus.   He opened his chest to reveal his red-violet Spark.   Hot Rod tried his best to mimic the position, opening his chest to reveal a Spark of brilliant blue-white.   Ultra Magnus joined them and opened his chest to reveal his teal-colored Spark.   The three of them wrapped their arms around one another and concentrated on their feelings for each other……..letting the bond happen.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            A few hours later, after a brief rest following the bonding.   Hot Rod went looking for Blurr and asked Drift to take over piloting for him while they went and talked.    Hot Rod knew that now that he and Drift and Magnus had bonded—it wouldn’t be much longer before they figured out what the flame-colored mech had been hiding from them both all this time.   He wanted to talk to Blurr at how he should approach the subject of his precognitive dreams with his two older lovers.   The two old friends found an unused and dusty old conference room and dusted away just enough to sit in a couple of chairs.

            “Are you still having the dreams then?”  Blurr asked, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on his knees.

            Hot Rod leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest anxiously.   “ _Yeah_.  Yeah, I still do……..and they get clearer with each new dream.    _I’m_ gonna be the thirteenth Prime and the one to face Unicron.   But…………..I still don’t know how to wake Primus up on Cybertron, _not yet_.  The dreams haven’t gotten that far yet,” he whispered.   “I………….if I change and have to become a Prime—does that mean I lose Drift and Magnus, too?”  He mumbled, then fell forwards and cupped his faceplate with despair.

            “What about the purple mech?   Anything more about _him_?”  The young blue mech inquired, trying to put together everything Hot Rod’s told him since the first dream had occurred.

            “ _Galvatron_.   His name is Galvatron and he is Unicron’s Herald of Destruction,” Hot Rod murmured.   “That’s all I know.”

            “Well, if the God of Chaos is stuck in a slow-moving planetary form—then it would make sense he would need others to go out and gather things for him—information and more subtle activities such as that,” Blurr chuckled.   “You’ll probably need to face this Galvatron and stop him from stopping you from awakening Primus.  _Probably_.”

            “ _Yeah_ ,” Hot Rod sighed.   “But now…………..how much do I actually tell Mags and Drift?   And how much will they feel and interpret through the Spark-bond now?”

            “What do _you_ feel through the Spark-bond right now?”  The blue-colored mech laughed warmly.

            “Drift is in a good mood.  I think he’s happy that we bonded—it makes him feel better.   Mags is tired…….I think it’s because he’s been working so hard and hasn’t recharged properly since we left Corona.   But he _is_ actually recharging now, because the Spark-bonding really took it out of him…………so, I hope he gets a good quality recharge,” the young, flame-colored mech responded, smiling at his very best friend.

            “Can you sense _their_ thoughts?”  Blurr asked.

            “ _Nah_.  Just vague feelings right now.  Drift says that the more often we take the time to bond, the easier we’ll be able to feel each other……….it’s all just kinda _‘peripheral’_ feelings of each other right now,” Hot Rod answered.

            “Then………….as long as they can’t actually sense your thoughts, you can still hide it from them.   They already know you’ve been having dreams of Unicron and when you wake from them screaming, they’ll comfort you all the same as they already have been,” the blue mech said with a shrug.   “Why do you still want to, though?”

            “I……….I just don’t want them to know………….. _it may not be a happy ending_.  **_I’m_** resolved to what’s going to happen, but _they_ may not accept it, you know?”   Hot Rod said softly.   “I don’t want them to go out of their way, destroying themselves to save me—it _wouldn’t_ make me happy.   What would make me happy is if **_they_** live through whatever happens.”

            “That’s _so_ like you, Roddy,” Blurr chuckled, getting up and pulling Hot Rod to his feet for a hug.      “I am so glad we are best friends, you know?   And…………… _I can’t wait_ to get to Velocitron—to race in one big race on my matri’s home turf.”

            “ ** _YOU_**!”  Hot Rod laughed, smacking the blue mech in the shoulder.  “I _still_ can’t believe you never told me Override was your guardian!   Never forgiving you for that, bro!”  He chuckled.   “What do you think the colony of Leviathan is like?”

            “ _Mmmm_.   Some weird legends say the colonists born on Leviathan are titans………….their frames are so huge that they are the sizes of cities,” Blurr murmured, as they left the conference room and walked towards the bridge.   “If _that’s_ true—I can’t imagine Leviathan has a large or dense population, you know?”

            “ _Hot Rod_!”  A new, but _newly familiar_ voice called.

            “Hey First Aid…………you guys settling in on the _Star Voyager_ okay?   Were you able to find a room big enough for all of you guys?”  Hot Rod asked, grinning at the small Protectobot medic.

            “ _Yeah_.  We commandeered a lounge area.  Groove’s going to remodel it into quarters and a berth.   I want to share a list of supplies we should get for the medical bay………since you’re in charge, I thought…….” First Aid began, but then stopped when a puzzled look appeared on Hot Rod’s faceplate.   “You’re _not_?  I mean, it looks like Ultra Magnus is like a security guy or an administrative type, but……….. _you_ seemed to be the one people were looking at for guidance and Roadfire thinks you’re the next Primus, to be honest.”

            “I guess I’ve just been taking some cues on administrative stuff, I guess we haven’t gotten a strict command chain set up yet, but now that we have more people…………maybe we need to actually make some official announcements?”  Hot Rod chuckled softly, rubbing at the back of his neck anxiously.  “Okay, lemme see your list and I’ll ask Mags and Drift on what we should do next.  Override, too………” he added, holding a hand out for the datapad that the small medic was holding, grinning at him.

            “So, I heard we’re going to Leviathan next—is it really true that the colonists there are huge in stature?”  First Aid asked, curiously as they walked towards the bridge together.

            “That’s just what Blurr and I were talking about,” Hot Rod laughed.   “Blurr thinks that if they are—the population probably _isn’t_ very big.”

            “True……….I mean, only a certain number of _‘cities’_ could fit comfortably on any world,” the small medic chuckled.   “This is _exciting_ , Hot Rod—thank you for letting me come along, now I can get all the experience I need for my skills…………..and hopefully I won’t keep purging after every surgery or something.”

            “It’s probably just nerves—I get the same way right before I enter a booked race,” Blurr said with a big grin at the small medic.

            “We’re almost to Leviathan,” Star Saber announced when the young trio came onto the bridge.  “After Drift got here, we decided to take the quantum jump.”

            “Sounds like a plan,” Hot Rod said, walking over behind Drift and draping his arms over the grey-and-white mech’s.  “Have you sent out a greeting message yet, to try and get a response from someone in charge?”   He asked, looking over at Star Saber.

            “ _Mmm_.  And we got a ping before a response, but…………..I am not quite sure how to interpret the response,” the old swordsmech responded with a tone of puzzlement in his vocalizer.   He reached for a button on his console and replayed the message.

            “Isn’t that…………..like **_really_** Old High Cybertronian?”  First Aid said, tilting his head curiously—listening to the strange, almost garbled sounds.   “Back…………well, like _back from the barbaric tribes era_ of Cybertron—before glyphs and everything.”

            Star Saber cupped his chin thoughtfully.  “You might be right, First Aid—I admit, I’ve _never_ heard it before, but it does have that grunting and guttural quality the ancient language was known for,” he said, replaying the message again and listening hard.  “Let me try another message………….” he added.   Then he spoke in an older version of Cybertronian, though not quite as ancient, with a greeting message.

            This time there was a more legible response, though no one but Star Saber understood it.

            “They’re saying we can go ahead and land, they’re giving us directions—the city-mech we’re going to see is grey and blue with their primary colors, their name is Fortress Maximus,” Star Saber said, shifting the coordinates to Drift’s piloting console as well.   “There’s a lot of background noise—it seems that the city-mechs all communicate in this manner.   I can’t tell if there are femmes amongst them, because their use of language doesn’t say more than _‘mechs’_.”

            “Because they’re stationery, they just talk to each other via comm-link?”  First Aid inquired, a sense of awe tinging his tone.   “I wonder if they even have a primary mode, like us?”  He murmured, curiously.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            “Greetings………….I am Fortress Maximus’ _kovu_ —you may address me as Cerebros,” the grey-and-black, average-sized mech said warmly, folding his right arm over his chest and dipping his shoulders politely.

            “ _Kovu_?   What’s a **_‘kovu’_**?”  Hot Rod asked, smiling and dipping his shoulders lightly in response.  He’d taken Star Saber, Blurr and First Aid with him to speak with Fortress Maximus.   He didn’t anticipate they’d be able to take any new crew from this world and just said they’d pass along Optimus Prime’s recorded message and warn them about the Decepticons and Unicron.

            “ _Oh!_    That’s right……….that’s _old_ terminology—I downloaded your more modern language packs to communicate so let me see…………” Cerebros trailed off, tilting his head down and rubbing a few forefingers along his temple.   “ ** _Hmmm_**.   A _‘controller frame’_ doesn’t quite suit………..as I am not the main portion of the body……… _oh_!   A **_golem_** _—‘golem’_ is a suitable word for what I represent.   I am a piece of Fortress Maximus given animation to interact with our kind of this average size—I do have a separate _kovu_ if I were to go to Meteor and interact with their colonists.”

            “You are aware of the other colonies?”  Star Saber asked, a bit of awe in his voice.

            “Our Prime, Nexus Prime………….he liked to talk about all of the colonies to us.   I think he knew that because our frames are so large, it would be unlikely we would ever see other colonies—nor could we really request transfers to another colony,” Cerebros responded, lightly, leading the three to a conference room in a tower—where they could look out and see a vast mountain range and two other city-mechs that had a similar design to Fortress Maximus’, just with some different coloring schemes.

            “So, when you say you are an animated piece of this city-mech that we are in………….does it mean that you _don’t_ have a Spark of your own?”  First Aid asked, gingerly sitting down at the round table.   “And does walking around in your primary frame…………..can you **_feel_** it?   Does it hurt or just feel weird?”

            “My, such _personal_ questions!”  Cerebros laughed.   “But in all honesty—it’s refreshing to have **_someone new_** to talk to.   Most of what we talk about is quite literally the weather,” the grey-and-black mech responded, sitting down in a chair as Hot Rod and Star Saber followed suit.   “I played your………….Optimus Prime’s message to broadcast to the others and I can hear that they’re debating the matters.  According to legend, Unicron is a great threat, so we shall attempt to prepare for that………….however, we may be able to ward off these Decepticons.”   Cerebros twined his fingers in front of him and looked over at First Aid.   “To answer your questions though—only because you are a medic and I see where your curiousity and concern arises from—this _kovu_ named Cerebros has no Spark.  The smaller _kovu_ named _‘Spike’_ also has no Spark.   We are remotely controlled by the main triad of the Fortress Maximus frame.”

            “Your frame is in thirds?”  Star Saber asked, curious at the way Cerebros used his terms.

            “In all honesty, most of our race’s history has been consumed by threes.  The Spike- _kovu_ becomes the head module of the Cerebros- _kovu_ …………and in turn, the Cerebros- _kovu_ becomes the head module of Fortress Maximus in our more maneuverable form.   We can no longer call that form our _‘primary form’_ , as we all tend to stay in our city form most of our lives,” Cerebros said, firmly.   “To answer your other question about whether I feel all of you walking around inside of me and does it hurt…………….I can _feel_ you, but it doesn’t really register as any sort of tactile problem or issue.   Hot Rod, you come from a world with some organic nature on it, so you may understand—it would be as if you felt a caterpillar crawling on your leg.   You know something is there, but it really doesn’t bother you in one way or another.”

            “ ** _Heh_**.  _Yeah_.  I totally get that,” Hot Rod chuckled, warmly.   “Is there anything else you need explained to you?   We could stay a little longer, but it might be best to get on to the next colony…………..”

            “I believe the message has been understood and I think we’ll all be discussing it for a while yet.   But I don’t believe we need anything else,” Cerebros answered, nodding at the young, flame-colored mech.   “Oh, just a moment—it looks like we have a message from your ship—they can’t get through to all of you because, well, I suppose because my field naturally dampens smaller-size transmissions.”

            Cerebros looked towards the monitor on the wall of the room, which suddenly flared into life.

            “Hot Rod, _everyone_ —we just received a distress call from the colony of Root.  It is from Commander Prime,” Ultra Magnus said, sharply.   “They said that the Decepticon forces there have become overwhelming.   And much of the colony has been wiped out—we may be the only ones who can get there fast enough to offer any assistance.”

            “Mags………….prep the ship for the quantum jump, we’ll be back as quick as we can,” Hot Rod responded, bolting to his pedes and getting ready to run back to the ship.

            “If I may offer something?”  Cerebros said, interrupting the two in the most polite manner ever.   “Warning the colonies of Unicron is of vital importance and a detour would only waste time—you’ve got some crew _without_ the combat experience that would actually help turn the tide.   Send the crew without combat experience on to the next colony you planned to take the warnings to.  I will convey the soldiers who can work best in battle to the colony of Root.  My secondary alternative mode is a space-worthy command craft and my engine core is equipped with quantum technology.”

            “Cerebros, are you sure?”  Hot Rod asked, turning his head to look at the grey-and-black mech.

            “It is suitable to the situation, I believe.   You just need to pick your crew going to Root and I will take them there.  My so-called _‘primary mode’_ is also quite battle worthy and certainly these Decepticons would not expect a titan-sized robot before them,” Cerebros answered, firmly.

            “Change of plans, Mags—you, Star Saber, Roadfire, Hot Spot and Grotusque go with Fortress Maximus to Root…………. _and make it fast_ ,” Hot Rod said.  “I’ll take the others to Bolohex and you can catch up with us there.  I need Drift and Blurr to pilot the _Star Voyager_ —or I’d send Drift with you, too.”

            “I understand, I shall say my good-byes as we cross on the platform,” Ultra Magnus responded, dipping his shoulders politely at his ward and lover.

            Hot Rod was surprised that Ultra Magnus didn’t protest whatsoever at this parting of the ways.   He wondered why?   Had the flame-colored mech proved he was capable of being an adult to the old soldier—or did the Spark-bonding let him in on something more subtle?

            It wouldn’t be for long—but this would be the first time Hot Rod had been parted by vast distance from the one who raised him.

            “You _definitely_ have the charisma to lead,” Star Saber said as the four walked briskly to the external landing platform.  “I’m _very_ impressed.   And the fact that Magnus was willing to part from you—as glued to you as he was.”

            “It gives me something to focus on,” Hot Rod said with a grin.  “Override always said it was hard for me to focus on school—but this is something beyond school, so I’m giving it my all!”   He ran up to Ultra Magnus for a tight hug and got swept up into a fierce embrace instead.   “Hey Mags—this is an _‘I wish we could frag’_ hug!”  The flame-colored mech giggled, clasping his fingers behind Ultra Magnus’ broad neck.

            “It is definitely on my list, but you are right to send who you are sending.  From now on, you are in charge of the _Star Voyager_ —you are the **_Captain_**.   Think about things before you do them and listen to those around you—they may have good ideas,” the old soldier said, firmly, still holding Hot Rod far off the ground and against his chest.  “Avoid trouble and conflict if you can, although I have seen on this journey it is not completely unavoidable, regardless of what colony we’re on.  And take care of Drift—I think he needs it right now.”

            “I’ll miss you, Mags………” the flame-colored mech murmured, snuggling against his lover’s huge chest.

            **/love\        /pride\**

            The second was an emotion that Ultra Magnus had _never_ felt in Hot Rod’s field before—it wasn’t a darker version of pride—the type to get one in trouble.  It was bright and shining………..pride that came from love and hope in a person or a situation.   The younger mech was proud of the old soldier for being so honest and brave………….and proud of himself for letting go for this temporary time.   His little shining star had grown up magnificently!

            **/joy\     /love\**

            Ultra Magnus sent back those two emotions through his field and tangled it with Hot Rod’s EM field, before gently setting the younger mech back on the ground.   He leaned down and cupped Hot Rod’s faceplate gently with his large servos, then kissed him………….long, slowly and with lots of wet glossa involved.   The smaller mech melted against him with a mournful moan, knowing this wasn’t leading towards any interfacing, but merely a parting.   The old soldier pulled away and smiled down at Hot Rod, giving one last gentle kiss on the top of the curved red helm.

            “Thank you for coming into my life, my beautiful shining star…………I love you, _with all of my Spark_.  And I will see you soon,” Ultra Magnus murmured, holding onto Hot Rod’s servos for a brief instance of longing.

            “ ** _Love_** …………..love you, too, Mags…………don’t get hurt,” Hot Rod answered back, squeezing his older lover’s servos gently, a tremor in his vocalizer.  “Come back to me……………” he whispered, looking up into Ultra Magnus’ blue glass-covered optics.

            The two mechs pulled away from each other, going in different directions.  Hot Rod walked backwards for a little bit, with First Aid and Blurr beside him—and then it was time to board the _Star Voyager_ and make their way to Bolohex, while Ultra Magnus and his team went with Fortress Maximus to Root.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was always meant to be like............the mid-season cliffhanger. So, the group has split up............Ultra Magnus and the others will discover horror and surprise on Root, while Hot Rod and his group will come across someone Drift knows very well on Bolohex.
> 
> The next arc will be split and pretty large. There's a lot to cover on Bolohex alone. :)


End file.
